The Curse of the Methuselah Tree

In the arid and inhospitable California desert stands a bristlecone pine tree with the mythical name of Methuselah. At nearly 5,000 years of age, it had long been thought to be the oldest living organism on our planet. Pre-dating the construction of the pyramids and the birth of Christ, the tree is a marvel of resilience and survival. "The Curse of the Methuselah Tree" attempts to deconstruct its long and complex history.

The most unique aspect of the film is its point of view. Much of the narration consists of sumptuous poetry provided by Roger McGough. Assuming the role of the tree, this lyrical inner monologue deepens our sense of empathy and engagement with the scope of events detailed in the film.

For much of its life span, the mysteries of this extraordinary tree eluded us. It wasn't until Edmund Schulman, a pioneer in tree aging, first discovered Methuselah in the 1950s that the scientific community began to take notice. Studying the endless layers of inner rings housed under its bark, Schulman was able to assemble a detailed account of the tree's rich and eventful existence.

These rings convey stories of calamitous weather events, civilizations come and gone, and nuclear tests that set the desert ablaze with furious plumes of fire and diseased smoke. The film reenacts many of these events in visceral detail, including the emergence of ancient Indians to the region, the arrival of white immigrants soon after, and the actions of industry that choked the desert of much of its resources.

When the seedlings of the tree's bristlecones were examined in a lab, they showed no signs of deterioration. From outside appearances, the tree might strike spectators as nothing more than a weakened and twisted mass. But upon closer inspection, it's as vital and robust as the day it was born.

"The Curse of the Methuselah Tree" is an impressive and multi-layered work. The history of this mystical tree reflects much of our own history in a manner that sets it apart from other documentaries that cover similar events. The film's conclusion is equally distinct as it delivers an unexpectedly vivid and harrowing environmental statement.

14 Comments / User Reviews

WOW. amazingly interesting documentary. Also very saddening when Don Curry (shown at 44:35 in the video) talks about cutting down the oldest tree. He does not seem to have any remorse for doing so in his interview. He even appears to just laugh it off. I guess it was worth it to him for the scientific glory of discovering a tree older than Schulman's. Curry appears to be in his late 50's. The graduate work he discusses most likely was done in his mid to late 20's. So this must have been approx 35 years before the making of this documentary. That puts his expedition in the early 70's when he cut down the tree. At 48 minutes into the doc they show the slab he removed being displayed in a casino. I wonder if the footage shown in the casino was taken at the time this documentary was produced or if it is file footage from the late 70's when it was a newer display. The reason I wonder is... at 48:07 they show a man exhaling smoke from a cigarette in the casino and, to me, that guy sure looks a lot like Wayne Nelson (lead singer and bass player on the song Night Owls) from Little River Band. LOL The time line fits perfectly for the age of the man shown, and LRB's popular period, when Wayne may have been spending time in casinos due to LRB's success.. Funny, the little things people pick up in videos.

@treeoflife - Old Tjikko is recognized as the oldest living Picea abies and the third oldest known clonal tree.

@Missy - The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.

@TDF, thanks for posting this film! I thoroughly enjoyed this. I always had plans to one day camp in this area for a few days to get a feel of what these trees endure. I got a feeling their biggest threat is man.

It depends on your interpretation of the term 'tree'. Pando and Old Tjikko are 'clonal' trees. Their root systems are ancient, but their stems die off and new ones emerge. The Methuselah Tree's trunk has withstood the elements for millennia, rather than regenerating.